Consumed; Dark Destiny
Taylor Shaw
Published by Eroticaromance.net at Smashwords
Copyright © 2009 Taylor Shaw ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING:
The following material contains graphic sexual content described in explicit detail. This book is intended for mature readers only. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
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Consumed: Dark Destiny
By: Taylor Shaw
Chapter One
Symon’s hands flattened against the tile wall of the shower bearing the weight of his powerful body. The water cascaded over him, collecting his hair into tiny raven rivers along his jaw and neck. He was determined to savor every moment of his short reprieve from work. As the leader of the vampire tribe, he wasn’t often free to indulge in simple pleasures like a long uninterrupted shower. He rolled his head from side to side as the steaming water purged his mind of his worries. Symon was ancient and after the long centuries of holding onto the hope of finding the one woman that could fill the emptiness inside him; he had finally lost faith in the fantasy.
The shower vented a plume of steam as he opened the glass door. Stepping out onto the floor mat, he wrapped a thick cotton towel around his waist. His corded muscles flexed with the subtle movement as he dragged his fingers through his hair. Swiping a hand across the mirror, Symon bent forward to evaluate his reflection. The dark circles under his eyes were a testament of just how poorly he had been taking care of himself. At first he felt selfish and little foolish for taking the time off. It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do. But Julian had talked him into it. It sounded like a decent idea at the time; a little time to himself to do whatever he pleased. But now that it was here, all he could think about was how empty his life had become. Overseeing the survival and advancement of his species was all he knew. He hoped Julian would be able to handle everything in his absence. He thought that it might be a good idea to stop in after he’d fed, just to make sure that everything was under control. Then again, he needed all the rest he was going to get on this short break, but first he needed to feed.
For years he had no need to hunt. The night clubs that he set up around the city proved to be a successful source of monetary wealth. And the steady flow of patrons was easy prey for his people. Benevolent as they were toward humans, vampires never harmed humans while feeding. They took only what they needed and carefully removed any memory of their feeding from their prey’s mind. He hadn't had the need to hunt in years. Hunt. A subtle smile became noticeable in his reflection and a glint of anticipation shined in his eyes.
He pulled on pair of dark pants that sat low on his squared hips. His black shirt hung loosely from his broad shoulders and the collar lay open just enough to see the beginnings of a well defined chest. Symon headed toward the door. His mouth watered at the thought of feeding his voracious hunger. The predator in him stirred. As he closed the door behind him, his cell phone rang.
“This is Symon.”
“It’s me.”
When he heard Julian’s voice, his heart sank at the prospect of having to rush into the club. “What’s up Julian?”
“I thought I’d better call to let you know that everything’s fine here.”
“You called just for that?”
“Yeah, well I know you. You've probably been sitting there thinking about everything that could go wrong and trying to come up with an excuse to drop by.” Symon remained guiltily silent. “Try not to think about work for the rest of the week.” Julian was Symon’s right hand and an advisor, or at least the voice of reason in many cases.
“Thanks, but if you do need me for anything, make sure you call. I’d rather come in than have to deal with a mess when I get back.” As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them. Symon knew that Julian could handle any situation. Through the centuries they’d been to hell and back together. Symon couldn’t remember a time when Julian had failed at any task. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know. Just try to relax, I got this. I’ll see you next week.”
****
Julian flipped his phone closed and holstered it on his belt. His powerful body moved with a beautiful elegance that all male vampires were inherently born with. The fierce silent grace in the way they moved warned other males of their predatory nature while women found it deliciously attractive. From their physical beauty, to the very sound of their voice, every aspect of their being had one purpose; to draw in their prey.
Julian moved silently, without so much as even disturbing the air around him. He did his usual sweep of the club. It was a typical crowd for a Saturday night. Frederick’s werewolves prowled the dark corners and bathrooms, selling their narcotics for profit. God, they made him sick. But that was the arrangement that Symon and the werewolves had worked out. The vampires made their money from the clubs and the werewolves made theirs from selling dope. Everyone was happy.
It had been quite an accomplishment talking Symon into taking a night off. But things had been quiet over the last several months. The clubs were profiting and the werewolves were happy with their increased business. The entire territory was quietly under vampire control and Club 1728 was the crown jewel. Its location was deep under the city’s streets. The club had been carefully planned to lure their target clientele. On the weekends, the club was a haven for young misfits that were looking for a place to fit in. And they came by the droves.
Julian continued to monitor the crowd. He opened his phone and called up to Viktor and Tomas who were bouncing the door. “It’s getting pretty packed in here, about fifty more then cut it off.” He flipped his phone closed and probed the crowd. There were so many people and vampires in the club that he’d lost track of the small handful of werewolves. He’d never liked their kind. His prejudice went back centuries, before the wars, when he knew a handful of them on a personal basis. It was only the last hundred years or so that they were finally able to co-exist. However, neither side considered one another friends; they had simply called a truce. It was Symon’s business sensibilities and his diplomatic ingenuity that had staved off the last war and opened the door to the enterprises that they had today.
The werewolves had agreed to kick back a small portion of the profits they made from dealing in Symon’s clubs. But lately, the envelopes had become thinner. When Julian brought it to Symon’s attention, he wasn’t surprised that Symon chose to ignore the corruption. Symon saw strategy in everything. Julian had always trusted Symon to lead them on the right path, but lately, he noted the change in his leader. Symon looked tired, he was becoming more withdrawn. He’d spent centuries overseeing their species’ success, always at the cost of his own contentment. It wasn’t hard to see that Symon was throwing himself into the business as a means to stave off the barren emptiness that came with having no mate. But Julian found it easy to relate. He was feeling the dark shadow creeping over his own soul. But they both went on.
The bass pounded out the same beat over and over again; only the melodies changed. The dance floor was filled with people. Most of them dressed in black. Dark eyeliner, body piercings and outrageous hair styles individualized one from the other. The high vaulted ceilings of the club collected the swirling cloud of noxious smoke created from the combination of numerous narcotics. Finally, Julian sighted Rand. Rand was the son of Friedrich, the werewolf leader. As cunning as his father, Rand snaked his way through the hordes of patrons, picking up several sales in a few minutes and then once again disappeared into a sea of black rags and pasted hair.
Julian combined his keen preternatural senses to track the pack through the club. A shrill screech of a turntable detonated out of the D.J.’s towering speakers as the music took a new darker direction. The crowd burst to life as the trance-like song wove into the air. As for Julian and the other vampires, the screech was a vicious attack on their sensitive ears. Every vampire in the room looked toward the D.J. booth with bloodlust in their eyes. In that moment Julian lost the pack. Shouldering through the waves of human pogo sticks that bounced up and down on the floor, he neared the rear wall of the hall. There were a few exhibitionists exploiting the darkness of the corners. Julian noted a man on his knees with his head under a woman’s skirt. The sheer delight on her face made Julian’s body ache, but he had remained focused. As he past her, she languidly let her hand run over his hair and trail down his backside. As he thought about sinking his teeth into the milky white skin of her neck, he caught a glimpse of Rand’s long black coat sliding around the back door before it slammed shut. Julian swore under his breath. Rand knew that it was forbidden to sample or sell narcotics outside the club or in its hallways. In the pit, the vampires could control the environment and mask any suspicious activity when the authorities did their occasional sweep. But they weren’t staffed to monitor the outside of the building.
Julian forced his way through the remainder of the crowd. Most of them moved at the sight of him and the air of savagery that emanated from his movements. The unlucky ones that didn’t see him advancing were simply pushed aside. He turned the handle and with one quick step he was in the staircase that wound up to the street’s surface. Julian’s long legs took the stairs two at a time until he reached another door. He shoved it open and stepped out into the alley.
Rand’s hips were thrusting between the splayed legs of a woman who had wrapped herself around him. Her platinum blonde hair was cut jaggedly and teased high. The front of her white frayed shirt was pulled down. With her black polished finger tips, she teased her nipples. Rand had pinned her against the dirty brick wall. Her dark red and black plaid skirt was pushed up to her belly. Rand’s hand kneaded at the firm globe of her backside. At first sight, Julian thought he had made an embarrassing mistake, until he saw the syringe that Rand’s thumb was plunging into her thigh while his cock rocked between her legs. Disgusted and angry, Julian’s hand went to the back of Rand’s neck while he leaned in ensuring his words were clearly audible. “Get her out of here, now.” The words slid out from between Julian’s teeth.
Rand remained focused on the girl’s writing body. Her eyes were glazed over in a clearly drug induced stupor. “I’m almost done.” He slid a hand under the hem of her skirt and rubbed at her clit soliciting a deep moan. “You wanna hit this Julian? She’s got a sweet ass.”
Julian’s fury exploded and in one motion he lifted Rand off the ground and threw him into the brick wall on the opposite side of the alley. Rand hit with a thud and fell to the ground where he sat for a moment shaking off the impact. While he was down, Julian grabbed the girls arm, opened the door and tossed her inside onto the landing at the top of the staircase. She sunk down the wall and crumpled to the floor.
Rand got to his feet, and swatted the dust from his pants, his cock jutted out from under his shirt. He tucked it into his pants and made a dramatic show of zipping his jeans. He stood there for a moment shaking his head as if to convey to Julian that he’d just made a grave mistake. A sinister smile spread over Rand’s face. “You’re going to pay for that.”
Chapter Two
Tess reached toward the back of the sink and pulled the sprayer from the faucet. She sprayed down the remaining utensils. Like any good chef, she kept her kitchen spotless. Spraying the goop off the plates before putting them into the dishwasher was good practice. Less wear and tear on the equipment meant more money in the bank in the long run. Her little restaurant did well enough to afford her a comfortable living. It had been her “dream come true” on so many levels. She came from a family that wasn’t exactly poor, but there had been many times she’d had to go without. Tonight had been the icing on the cake so to speak. Her friend Kara, the daughter of an affluent food critic, was going to be married this weekend. As a gift to the couple, Tess graciously hosted the rehearsal dinner at her restaurant. She would have hosted it regardless of Kara’s father’s occupation, but Tess considered this a fateful opportunity to prove that she had what it took to make it in this town. The small party for close friends had lasted well into the night and very early morning. She’d received compliments at every course on her food and presentation. Kara’s father had remained silent until they were leaving. “You’ve really made an impression, Tess. I think you have something here.” The flattery was unexpected and after they left she couldn’t help but fantasize about a review.
Looking up at the clock, she swiped her forehead with the sleeve of her white chef smock. It was almost 2am. She’d spent the last hour cleaning up and was almost done. She’d already cleaned the kitchen, mopped and stacked the dishes in the washer. As she loaded the utensils into the dishwasher basket she noticed that Kara forgot to take her sterling silver cake server. She went back to the sink and washed it carefully. While she ran her thumb over it, the engraving became legible from under the whipped cream. “Kara and Jeremy June 27th” Tess smiled to herself. She’d loved weddings ever since she was a little girl. She remembered tying her mother’s white silken night gown over her hair and prancing around with a bouquet of dandelions. Tess dried the utensil and rolled it into a towel for safe keeping. She knew she would have to drop it off before Kara noticed it was missing and went into a bride-to-be fit. After taking off her smock, she grabbed the rolled towel and a bag of garbage and headed for the back door. While balancing the open door with her foot, she switched the lights off in the kitchen. After the steel door closed behind her, she turned her key in the deadbolt. Tess hadn’t noticed anyone else in the alley until then. A low murmur of male voices floated to her. Although she couldn’t make out what they were saying, they sounded agitated. Tess peeked around the corner of the bricks that formed a small alcove around her door and saw Julian slam the door shut behind him. As he stared down the other male, it became obvious that the two were headed for a fight. At first she thought to go back inside and leave through the front, but then she heard the other man say “You’re going to pay for that.” The way he said it sent a chill down her spine.
Tess knew Club 1728’s reputation all too well. She’d had a few run-ins with patrons when she left late, like tonight. The club seemed to draw the wild and dangerous. This guy seemed a bit of both. But even while Tess knew first hand that Julian could hold his own, she couldn’t just walk away. Both times that Tess had found herself in a precarious position in the alley her restaurant shared with the club; it was Julian that came to her aid. Sinking back into the corner of the doorway, she listened, not knowing what to do.
Julian stared down Rand, daring him to make his move. If Rand only knew how much Julian detested his species and how much he had looked forward to an opportunity such as this, he may have thought twice about antagonizing him. But Rand, like most werewolves, was always looking for a fight. He elated in the idea of a bloodletting with Julian. It had been years since he last fought anyone who could match his speed and strength.
Rand made the first move. His muscles flexed and he sprung forward, high into the air above Julian’s poised form. Matching his strength, Julian leapt to meet him. The two collided in mid air and then fell to the ground. Rand moved with the agility of the vicious animal that he was. He spun and clawed his way around and over Julian as if he was a floating barrel on water. But Julian could move faster than the eye could follow and was soon out of Rand’s death roll. His first punch landed square on the side of Rand’s jaw. There was an audible snap and Rand bellowed a howl as the pain shot up his cheek and into his skull.
Tess peeked out at the two rolling on the ground. Her heart beat quickly as she fumbled for her cell phone. She ducked back in. As her shaking fingers flipped it open, she again peered around the corner of her little cubby hole just after Rand had slash four gaping claw marks deeply in Julian’s chest. Tess saw the dark stain of blood soaking through Julian’s shirt. Oh my god, he killed him. She thought to herself as her thumb shook over the green glow of the keypad. Julian went down to his knees. She watched in horror as Rand closed in. Think Tess, think. The police will never make it here in time. I have to do something. She slipped out of her heels and tip-toed stealthily across the alley; positioning herself behind Rand. While she crept through the shadows, she pulled Kara’s cake server from the towel. Her hands shook, she could feel the silver handle slipping in her perspiring palms, her mouth was dry and her heart beat in her ears. Rand was preparing to deliver a death blow. Pretending to be wounded, Julian waited for the perfect moment to grab Rand’s flying hand and crush every bone in it. It would be a permanent reminder of who was in charge. The bright orange light from the alley lamp shined around Rand’s body, obscuring anything in the shadows behind him.
Tess was right behind her target now. Her heart was pumping too fast; she couldn’t hide her heavy panicked breathing. He was going to turn on her and then what would she do? Now that the time had come, she doubted her ability to actually stab someone. But she also knew there would be no second chances; she couldn't run away now. After plunging the metal into Julian’s attacker, she planned on running like hell while dialing 911. Rand’s head twitched to the side, just slightly, but enough for Tess to know in that split second he’d sensed her. She raised her arms above her head, closed her eyes tightly and with all her strength, plunged the metal into Rand’s shoulder while releasing a scream filled with fear. Rand cried out and then swung around; his eyes were a glowing red haze of fury. Tess yelped into her palm and in a panic stumbled backward, falling to the dirty pavement. Rand stepped forward while Tess shoved her bare feet against the cement in an attempt to scurry away. But then he stopped. His eyes opened wide and his hands began frantically clawing over his shoulder at the object imbedded in his flesh. Tess saw smoke rising from under his shirt. He clawed at his chest, shredding the material. Smoke was now billowing out of his chest from what looked like a gaping hole. Her eyes reflected her terror as she watched his shoulder dissolve and what remained of his arm flopped to the ground. His disfigured body fell to the pavement. The flesh on Rand’s face rolled over on itself and transformed his human features into a sickening combination of half man half wolf. The flesh rolled over again, this time his face regained his human features but large K-9 fangs protruded from his mouth. Rand’s wailing and howling was the most eerie sound she’d ever heard. His bellows slowly quieted into gurgling as the rest of his body was consumed by the molten acidic reaction until there was nothing discernible left, just a pile of slimy flesh-toned muck. The muck dried into ash and was carried away by a gust of wind that came out of nowhere. Kara’s silver cake server lay on the ground and the alley was silent.
Still sitting on the ground where she had fallen, Tess’s eyes were wide and her palm muffled her whimpers of obscured words. She looked to Julian who seemed to be in just as much shock as she was. “Oh my God, Julian, what just happened? I thought… I thought he was going to kill you.”